The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon
by nekoluver
Summary: Once a demon of royal descent reaches the age of adulthood, he or she must choose for themselves a slave The young Lord Kurama has just reached his seventeenth birthday, and chaos goes hand-in-hand with the festivities celebrating his chosen pet KuraHiei
1. Coming of Age

_**So I was reading some of shiorifoxiesmom 's fanfiction, and some she had favorited, when I decided to se t a new goal for myself. This goal was to write a fanfiction that she favorited. This is not what I had in mind at all when I started, but this fic is what came from that idea. I've written a Yu Yu Hakusho fanfiction before, let alone a HieiXKurama one, so.. I'm really hoping I don't screw this up... Especially since I've no idea where this is going.. There could be sex in further chapters... So.. If I change the rating, that's why... Yeah, so Kurama isn't human in this, but he still has Yoko. That's probably kinda confusing, but hopefully you'll get it later on... He's also royalty, but he's not a prince. He's a Lord, if you understand that. Ugh, I really don't know how to explain it.. Hopefully you'll understand once you read.. Uhm.. I really don't know what else to say.. So.. Let's begin!**_

'_Blah_' _**is thinking, or Kurama talking to Yoko**_

'_**Blah**_' _**is Yoko talking to Kurama**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho**_

_**Warnings: Slaves, yaoi, boy love, smexxi demons, wait, why are these warnings? Oh, and possible OOCness... Cuz that's just how fanfiction is... **_

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The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter One: Coming of Age

There were many royal families in the Makai. So many that it was difficult to actually trace their lineage at times. Every family though, even the ones with the least amount of royal blood, did their best to follow the traditions set by the original royal family. One of these great traditions was the royal 'coming of age' ceremony.

The fox demon Kurama belonged to one of the highest ranking royal families in all of the Makai, so it was only natural that everyone was making a big deal out of his seventeenth birthday. (In demon years. It was obviously a lot more in human years...) As much as he loathed the thought, he knew that it was best just to give in to the ceremony. As the day drew closer, though, he nearly regretted living long enough to 'come of age'. He most often cringed at the thought of what the ceremony entailed.

Quite often, the coming of age of a royal family member was celebrated by all residents of the land that family owned. The most common practices involved sacrifices being cut and burned in honor of the family member's birthday. Though most often the sacrifices consisted of valuables and animals, sometimes and unlucky human would be caught and sacrificed as well. Kurama found the whole thing rather disgusting, especially the smell of burning flesh and Inari knows what else wafting through the windows to sting his sensitive nose.

The sacrifices, though, were not what really made the fox cringe. When a royal child, most often a male, comes of age, his guardians are to take him to get a very 'special' gift. At least, that was what the elders called it. Kurama knew that was just a sugar-coated term for slave. The red head wanted no part in such a practice. He found it more barbaric and common than the mass murder committed in his honor.

As much as he hated the idea, he knew better than to argue with tradition, or his guardians, for that matter. His parents died when Kurama was still small, and his guardians were apparently his distant relatives or something like that. Not that it mattered much to the fox. Authority was authority, blood was blood. He adored his guardians, but he didn't really view them as family. He knew that the feeling had always been mutual, especially after they found out his secret.

Kurama was not the same as the other demons. In fact, the fox was fairly certain that he was one of a kind. For as long as he could remember, he had shared his mind with another. The other inside of Kurama's consciousness had his own thoughts, his own feelings. He was nearly a separate being, only without a body of his own. Not that the fact deterred the being, at times he just took over Kurama's body. That was not often, though, usually he was content with merely conversing with Kurama.

The other being had once said that he was called Yoko. When Yoko took over the body his mind resided in, the body's appearance changed to suit his consciousness. Yoko's body was slightly taller than Kurama's, and his long hair, instead of being red, was silver. He also had the ears and tail of a fox, the color of them matching his hair. His personality was also quite different than Kurama's, for he was less polite and took more joy in the barbaric things in life such as death and sex. For some reason, Yoko was older than Kurama, in his prime when the red-headed fox was only an infant, and yet Yoko never seemed to age.

Kurama was talking to Yoko at that moment, complaining about his predicament. Of course, this conversation took place inside the fox's mind, instead of out loud. '_I don't see the point in this silly tradition._'

'_**You know you can't argue with them, Kit.**_'

Kurama sighed. '_Yes, I know, but that doesn't make me like this any more._'

Yoko just laughed in response, cause Kurama to glare at the air in front of him. People were giving him strange looks as he walked passed them, but he didn't care. '_**It's almost time for you to pick out your present. You should go meet our dear 'uncle'. You know he doesn't like to be kept waiting.**_'

Kurama sighed again, changing his direction so that he was headed to the meeting place his uncle had set. Such a thing may seem unnecessary to a more common demon, but it is important to understand the size of Kurama's house- If it could be called that. It was more like a palace, though it was small in comparison to some places owned by the Makai royals. It was easy to get lost in such a place, and nearly impossible to purposely find anyone in it. This was why Kurama's guardian had designated the garden as the family meeting place. It was both convenient and easy to find, especially for those, like Kurama, who were attuned to the small aura that plants gave off.

The red-headed fox soon located his guardian sitting on a bench near on of the entrances to the gate that surrounded the garden. The man looked irritated, tapping his food on the ground impatiently. "Uncle," Kurama called out in the soft voice he most often used.

The older demon spun on him, violet eyes further showing his irritation. His sky blue hair looked bristled, like an angry cat. Though Kurama was forced to call the man 'Uncle', he most often went by Lord Hiron. "You're late," Hiron said coldly. Kurama bowed slightly.

"Forgive me, I lost track of time."

Hiron sighed, his voice becoming less cold as he gazed at Kurama. "You can't afford to be so careless. You know that. You also know that I don't like to be kept waiting."

Kurama bowed again as Yoko rolled his eyes in their mind. "Forgive me," the fox said again. His guardian nodded silently, then led Kurama to their transportation to the slave market. The whole ride, Hiron babbled on and on while Kurama half payed attention.

"This is the best place we can get to. All of the slaves they'll show us have already been tested for diseases and behavioral problems, so it shouldn't be to hard for you to.."

Kurama tuned him out after this. '_He talks about them like they're nothing more than pets.._'

'_**They are pets.**_'

'_I was content with my plants..._'

'_**Stop your complaining, Kit. We're here.**_'

Kurama looked at his surroundings, finding that they really had arrived at their destination. A rather disgusting lower class demon came to greet them with a low bow that made his many rolls of fat ripple. As he stood straight again, Kurama could see yellow boils dotting the demon's pale green flesh. '_**How repulsive,**_" Yoko commented.

'_Indeed._'

The green demon looked at Hirom. "My Lord, I am Defahn. I have been sent to guide you. Is this the young Lord Kurama?" Hirom nodded in affirmative. Defahn smiled, an act that did nothing to soften his repulsiveness, since his teeth were yellow and rotten. "Right this way."

Kurama mentally recoiled before settling down again. '_Well at least he speaks properly._'

Yoko smirked. '_**Thank Inari for the small gifts.**_'

As the demon eagerly gestured for Kurama to follow him, the fox looked quizzically at his guardian. "You're not coming?"

Hirom just smiled. "I think you can handle this by yourself."

Kurama sighed before following Defahn into the unmarked building. As soon as the door was shut behind the two demons, Kurama wrinkled his nose. There were too many scents in the building for the fox to be comfortable, and none of them were too pleasant Perfumes, blood, and day old sex were the most overpowering. '_If this is the best, I don't want to see the worst.. What was this place called again?_'

Yoko chuckled. '_**Fantasy Island.**_**'**

Everywhere Kurama looked there were scantily clad demons of all shapes and sizes, male and female alike. Some were chained up, but most roamed freely. Many of them were waving seductively at the fox lord. It was clear that none of them would have minded going home with him. He glanced at them disdainfully until Defahn interrupted his thoughts.

"Pick any one you like!" he said cheerfully. "Do you have any preferences? I can help you pick a good one."

"No, thank you," Kurama rejected politely. After that, he took his time to actually look at the slaves. A few caught his eye, such as a pretty fuchsia haired bird demon, but none held his interest. All of them seemed the same, with face smiles and too much make up, the males included. '_How boring..._' he thought as he wandered deeper into the building. Every time he walked passed one of the demons, they would pout about not being picked, and then glare at his back. '_This is pointless.._'

'_**What about that one?**_' Yoko asked, directing Kurama's attention to a small cage kept i n a dark corner of the room he was in. Intrigued, Kurama walked over to peer through the bars.

Large crimson eyes glared out at the fox from beneath messy black strands of hair. Within the cage was a small male demon, curled up in the back of the cage. He was covered in dirt and who knows what else, unlike the freshly cleaned demons in the rest of the building. This one also had cuts and bruises of different ages and intensity covering his small body. The black haired demon barred his fangs at Kurama, who smiled back pleasantly.

Defahn noticed what had caught Kurama's interest, and approached the smiling fox, fidgeting nervously. "U-um.. My lord, you don't want that one.."

Kurama turned to Defahn, intrigue still shining in his eyes. He understood why Yoko was so interested in the little caged demon. The little one had stronger youkai than any of the others, excluding Kurama himself. It was surprising that he was a slave, and not royalty himself. "Why don't I want him?"

Defahn bowed slightly, embarrassed. "With all due respect, my lord, why would you want such a dirty little rat like him? He might bite your dick off if you get too close." Kurama's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Defahn's face flushed as he realized his mistake in speaking to the fox in such a way. "I-I mean, we've had plenty of problem with him in the past. I'm sure he would cause you nothing but trouble, and the slaves here are non-refundable."

Yoko smirked at Defahn's rushed speech. '_**The fear lesser demons feel for us never ceases to amuse me.**_'

Kurama grinned. "I'll take him."

Defahn's eyes widened. "B-but my lord! ..Are you sure?"

The fox nodded. "I'm sure."

Defahn sighed, defeated. "Follow me," he said, and led the fox to the back room so that he could fill out the proper paperwork. After this was done, they returned to the cage.

Defahn wearily opened the door, causing the demon inside to press himself against the back of the cage. Ignoring this, Defahn locked a chain around the small demon's collar, pulling on it roughly so that the demon attached ended up sprawled on the floor by Kurama's feet. After this was done, Defahn put the leash in Kurama's hand before wishing him luck and walking away.

Almost immediately, the little demon was on his feet, struggling to escape. Kurama had to hold tightly to the chain to prevent the demon from getting away. He firmly grabbed the pale arm of his new slave, staring calmly into crimson eyes as the demon spun on him. "Would you rather stay here to get beaten, or take your chances with me?"

The crimson eyes widened, and the demon stopped struggling. A sigh of relief escaped Kurama's lips, and he took the moment to further inspect his purchase. The bruises and cuts marring the slave's body were more prominent in the light. The fox frowned as he now noticed how skinny the slave was. It was obvious that the slave wasn't often fed. Eventually, emerald eyes made their way to the thick collar around the demon's neck. There was a named carved sloppily into the strong material. "Hiei.." Kurama said softly.

The other demon just glared at him silently. It was easy to tell that he wasn't pleased with his current situation. It was also easy to tell that he wouldn't try to get away again, at least not for a while. He wanted to get out of that place as bad as everyone else in there, and probably more by the looks of him. That was why he didn't hesitate to follow when Kurama pulled gently on his leash.

'_**Things just got interesting,**_' Yoko said, and Kurama could tell that he was excited. IT tended to be dreadfully boring at their home, and the new slave had the potential to cause just enough chaos to please the silver fox.

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Kurama soon made it back to where Hirom was waiting for him. Hirom took one look at Hiei and snorted in disgust. "What the hell is _that_?" Kurama just stared cooling at his guardian, until the blue haired demon sighed. "Whatever, I don't care. Bathe it when we get home, okay?"

Kurama glanced cautiously at Hiei. The little demon was radiating waves of anger, and the fox was willing to bet that it had something to do with being referred to as 'it'. Kurama couldn't blame him for being angry, but he didn't turn away until he was sure that Hiei wouldn't attack. "Yes, Uncle," he finally said.

Hiei took his place by Kurama's side as they made the journey home. He made sure that he wasn't touching the fox demon, though the red head continued to keep a firm grip on his chain. Soon they arrived at their destination, and Hiei peered up at his new home.

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_**Well, that's chapter one! W00t! Oh, and before I get any complaints.. Yes, I realize that Hiei is way closer to being Makai royalty that Kurama, but this is fanfiction and I enjoy making everything topsy turvy! So, what does everyone think? Leave me a review pretty please. Constructive criticism and praise are welcomed. **_


	2. The Lord and the Slave

_**So yeah.. I can't really decide if this story is AU or not... 'Cuz it kinda is.. But not really... Hm... Well, whatever! People seem to really like this! It makes me soooo happy! Squee! So, I was thinking about it, and I have so many firsts with this fic. This is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fic that I've written by myself, my first slave fic, my first time writing for Yoko, and my first fic with a mute character. It's strange, really... But it's kinda fun! I just hope I'm doing a good job with it... **_

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The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter 2: The Lord and the Slave

Kurama led Hiei to the room they would be sharing. In anticipation of the new slave, the servants had furnished the room with an extra bed, but the added furniture did nothing to cripple the size of the room. Though the slave's bed was not quite as exquisite as his master's, it was grand enough to make any commoner drool with envy. Kurama gestured to the room at large. "This is where you will be staying," he told Hiei, before going to his oversized closet. He began gathering articles of clothing in his arms. "I'm not sure that these will fit you, but I'm positive that almost anything is better than what you have on now."

He turned once more to look at Hiei. The little demon's clothing was in, perhaps, a worse state than the demon himself was in. What once may have been proper clothing had been reduced to mere rags. The red-headed fox wondered vaguely why Hiei was in such horrible shape compared to the other slaves he had seen at Fantasy Island. When he realized he had been staring, though, the fox quickly forced himself to come back to reality as he smiled at Hiei. "I released your chain, and you didn't run away. Thank you."

Hiei gave his master a look that clearly stated that he wasn't staying put for the fox's benefit. Yoko chuckled at this. '_**You better keep an eye on him, Kit. He doesn't want to be here.**_'

'_Yes, I know,_' Kurama replied cheerfully. Yoko smirked at him.

'_**It would seem that he has quelled your boredom as well.**_'

Kurama just continued to smile as he gestured for Hiei to follow him. He led the slave to his own personal bathroom, and began filling the tub with hot water. "You'll have to forgive me, but I feel that I must stay in here while you bathe."

The master and slave stared at one another as the water slowly filled the tub. They were studying one another, trying to determine just what kind of demon the other was. Soon enough, though, the bath was full, and Kurama had to break the gaze in order to turn off the water. He gestured for Hiei to get in the tub, and then turned his back on the slave. Kurama felt Hiei staring at him in confusion. "I won't watch you undress," the fox stated simply. "It is against my morals."

'_**No matter how curious we are...**_' Yoko added.

Soon Kurama heard the sound of Hiei's descent into the water. The fox slowly turned around, smiling when he saw Hiei staring blanking at him. "There are various soaps over there," he said, motioning to a small shelf just in Hiei's reach. "Feel free to use whatever, and as much, as you want."

Hiei didn't verbally answer, but Kurama saw him reach for a small bottle filled with a deep purple liquid. Yoko smirked at that. '_**That's **_**our**_** stuff isn't it? He has good taste.**_' Kurama couldn't help but agree, although he wasn't certain Hiei had picked that particular bottle on purpose. Inside the bottle was a special blend of nectar and ground flower petals that Kurama had mixed up himself. It was nearly guaranteed to soften the skin and turn the hair into silk.

The fox was still smiling as he settle himself on the floor, resting his back on the side of the tub. "So I've been told that you are a fire demon. I can't help but wonder how you were captured." After a long period of silence, Kurama glanced over his shoulder at Hiei. "You're not going to talk to me, are you?"

Hiei, who had been busy massaging the purple liquid into his hair, paused long enough to glare at Kurama. The fox sighed, and turned back around to stare at the opposite wall. Everything was quiet for a long time before the fox broke the silence with his soft voice. "You know, I never actually wanted a slave.. But I can't argue with my uncle. Today is the day I come of age, so I had no choice. You should know that I only picked you to get you out of that horrible place."

A wet finger touched Kurama's shoulder, and as he turned, he realized that Hiei wanted to get out of the tub. He also discovered that the little youkai had been listening to him, because there was a hint of some emotion in those large crimson eyes. Hiei's gaze was softer than before, perhaps a bit more trusting, but not much. Kurama smiled as he got out of Hiei's way, keep his back turned as the slave dressed himself.

Kurama smiled when he took in the sight Hiei in his new clothes. The black fabric was so much better than the rags he had been wearing previously. The clothes were a little big, but that was to be expected. The fire demon was not only naturally petite, but also obviously underfed. The pants he wore did well to cover his various wounds, but the sleeveless shirt he wore did not. All of the cuts, gashes, and bruises on his arms were quite visible. This did nothing to prevent Kurama from noticing the slave's good looks, but still, the fox frowned. "I can treat your wounds if you would like."

Hiei gave Kurama an 'Are you stupid?' look. The fox didn't seem to notice as he continued to stare at the smaller demon's arms that were beginning to turn the sickening colors of infection. He could only imagine how many of the other wounds were as bad, if not worse than, the ones visible. He looked back into Hiei's eyes. "If you'll allow me to?"

The fire demon's seemingly permanent glare only intensified. He violently shook his head in denial. Kurama frowned sadly. "Then you must forgive me for this.." Hiei's eyes barely had time to gather the light of confusion before a thorned vine pierced the pale skin of his neck. He immediately lost consciousness, and Kurama caught him as he fell. The vine retreated in the same movement.

'_**He's not going to be happy when he wakes up,**_' Yoko said in amusement.

'_Yes, I know.._' Kurama replied as he carried Hiei back to their room. He gently placed the fire demon on his bed, before leaving to gather some medical supplies.

'_**You better hurry, Kit, or he's going to wake up.**_'

'_I know how long the plant's effects will work,_' Kurama replied, mildly irritated. He hurriedly gathered what he needed before returning to his room. He quickly set to working cleaning and dressing all of his slave's many injuries. The fox had flipped the now shirtless fire demon onto his stomach to treat the injuries he couldn't get to before when he noticed a warn sewn into the small of Hiei's back. "So that's how they did it.." Kurama whispered softly before setting back to work, ignoring the ward.

The fox finished quickly enough, and had redressed the slave. He took a seat in a chair out of Hiei's reach as he waited for the fire demon to wake up. This did not take long as the vine's poison slowly wore off. Blurry crimson eyes slowly opened to meet shining emerald orbs. The smaller demon blinked twice as he ever so slowly sat up.

"You may feel a little drowsy for a while," Kurama said softly, so as not to frighten Hiei. The lord soon fell victim to a fierce glare that he just smiled at. "Don't worry, I haven't taken advantage of you."

Hiei's eyes widened ever so slightly before his glare intensified. He carefully examined his body, surprised again once he found that his injuries had been treated. He looked curiously at Kurama, who simply continued to smile. Hiei frowned, crossing his arms and looking away. "Are you hungry?" The question brought the fire demon's attention back to the fox, and he nodded once.

Kurama walked over to Hiei, holding out his hand. Hiei ignored the offered hand, standing on his own, and swaying almost immediately after losing the support of the bed. Kurama chuckled softly. "It seems the poison has yet to wear off completely." Hiei's glare was accusatory as he gazed at the fox lord. Kurama brushed off the look he was receiving, and began walking, leading Hiei to the kitchen. "You can't blame me, you wouldn't cooperate, and your wounds needed to be healed. I did what I needed to."

It took a few seconds for Kurama to realize that Hiei was no longer following him. He looked over his shoulder at the fire demon. "Is something the matter?" Hiei shook his head, and the two began to walk again. The slave was careful to remain a few steps behind his master, and Kurama couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed by this. '_I thought I told him I didn't want a slave._'

'_**And yet that was a command very much like one a master would give to his slave.**_; Kurama mentally growled, and Yoko laughed at him. '_**You need to figure out what you really want, Kit.**_'

The demon pair arrived at the kitchen, and Kurama had Hiei take a seat on a stool set up by the long, bar-like counter. "Is there anything you would prefer to eat?" Kurama asked hopefully, but only got a blank stare in response from Hiei. The fox sighed. "Someday you _will_ have to speak to me. Come here."

The fox motioned for Hiei to come closer, and the fire demon did so reluctantly. Crimson eyes quickly swept the kitchen, most likely searching for plants, as he moved towards Kurama. The fox frowned slightly. "I'm not going to attack you," he said softly, a hint of sadness in his voice from being distrusted. Predictably, he got only a glare in response.

Kurama gently pushed Hiei further into the kitchen. "Go find something to eat. You can have anything you find." The fire demon looked up at him in confusion. Kurama smiled. "Don't worry, this isn't a trick."

Uncertainly, Hiei searched the kitchen for something he deemed good to eat. Frequently, he looked over his shoulder at Kurama in suspicion, clearly expecting some sort of trap or trick. Kurama quietly released an exasperated sigh. '_**It's too early to expect him to trust us, Kit...**_'

'_Yes, I know that, but this is all rather frustrating._'

Yoko chuckled. '_**That's part of what makes it so interesting.**_'

Two objects were suddenly thrust into Kurama's line of vision. He blinked down at an annoyed looking Hiei, though the fox lord couldn't imagine why the little demon was in such a mood. Hiei was holding out a medium sized package of meat, and a rather large piece of chocolate cake on a tray. Kurama supposed the cake was a leftover from the party the servants had thrown for one of their fellow's birthday. Morie was her name, if he remembered correctly. The fox took note of how Hiei had not only taken leftover cake, but also one of the lower quality pieces of meat in the household's possession. The fire demon was still testing the limits of what his master would allow.

Hiei's eyes had avoided Kurama's for a while, but garnet-crimson eventually met emerald, and the fire demon silently asked what would happen next. Kurama took the food from Hiei's hands, and the crimson eyes quickly filled with bitter disappointment. Kurama just smiled at him, placing the items on the counter, and watching as Hiei's eyes once again lit with confusion.

The fox got a pan from one of the many cupboards in order to heat the meat with. Hiei glared at the small flame that soon burned under the pan, and Kurama could only assume that the fire demon was angered that he could no longer produce flames, with that ward in his back. The fox lord ignored his slave's anger, and finished heating the food. He set a plate of meat, and the cake, in front of Hiei, seating himself across from the other demon to eat. "Enjoy your food," the fox said, still remaining cheerful and polite, while his slave was anything but.

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_**Urgh! I hate the ending of this chapter! It makes me go rawr. Aaaaanyway!**_

_**I just luv how amused the foxes are by Hiei in this chapter. Especially Yoko... Of course, he seems to find EVERYTHING rather amusing in this fic..**_

_**...I enjoy feedback. -hint hint nudge nudge- **_


	3. Planning for Chaos

_**I'm such a horrible, horrible authoress... See, I had planned on updating this a **_**long**_** time ago, but it never happened. I planned on updating last week, when I was on spring break, but I accidently left the first few pages of this chapter in my locker. It was horrible. You guys had to wait so long, and I'm pretty sure that this chapter wasn't worth the wait! Gomen nasai! **_

_**On a different note; new characters! Yaaaaay!**_

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The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter Three: Planning for Chaos

The next few days passed uneventfully until Lord Hiron summoned Kurama once again. The fox lord was not happy to be pulled away from Hiei for any reason, but a summon from his guardian was not one he could refuse. Needless to say, he was rather annoyed with the man. Kurama was sure that he was making progress in the way of getting Hiei to trust him, though not many would be able to pick up on the changes in the fire demon's behavior, so that they hardly seemed there at all. Regardless, the fox felt that being separated from the slave could harm the fragile bond that he was so sure they shared.

He couldn't keep his aggravation from his walk as he went to the garden to meet with his uncle. Lord Hiron sat calmly on a bench and watched Kurama walk toward him. The fox stopped a few feet in front of his uncle and the man stood up to meet him. Kurama's voice was polite when he spoke, but there was also an undertone of strain. "You summoned me, Uncle?"

"Walk with me," Lord Hiron said politely, though Kurama knew it was not a request. The demons walked through the garden, many plants leaning ever so slightly toward the fox lord as they passed.

"I do not mean to seem impatient," Kurama said after a little while. "But you must have had a reason for summoning me."

"And yet your impatience shows," the blue-haired demon commented smoothly. "I fear you've become too attached to that slave of yours."

"I am doubtful that you asked me here to discuss Hiei," Kurama replied, his voice carefully polite, as it always was around his guardian. It was clear that this form of verbal sparring was nothing new to the lords; even their postures were carefully polite, and their eyes avoided meeting.

"Then you are quite mistaken," Hiron replied, causing Kurama to look at him curiously. "The slave is now a part of our household, and I believe it is time for us to introduce him to the public."

Kurama looked away again, sighed as quietly as he could. "Politics."

"Of course; politics are everything in a family of our status. You would do well to learn that, you will have to rule our land one day."

"So we are doing this to please the other Makai lords? Or is this another tradition?"

"You make it out to be more simple than it really is."

"Forgive me," the fox bowed slightly. There was a short period where the demons were silent before Kurama spoke again. "Who will be our guests?"

Amusement sparkled in Hiron's amber eyes as they slid over to Kurama. "Everyone," he said simply. Kurama inwardly sighed, and Hiron smirked at his charge, clearly already enjoying the discomfort he was about to cause the fox. "Including your cousins.. _Both _of them."

The fox lord kept his face an emotionless mask as he stared into his guardian's slit-pupil eyes, a challenge in and of itself, that, luckily, Hiron payed no mind to. He was far too amused with the fact that he was sure Kurama was cringing in his mind at the thought Hiron had planted there. "When will this 'celebration' be held?" Kurama asked calmly.

"Three days. I will send Suzuka to your quarters tonight to fit you and your slave. The clothing should be ready by tomorrow night."

Kurama gracefully raised one eyebrow. "Not to be rude, but doesn't that seem a little rushed?"

"Of course not, you know how quick and efficient Suzuka's work is, especially when it is for a Makai lord. Besides," Hiron combed his fingers through his ice-blue hair, elegantly brushing away the strands that had fallen into his eyes. "We can't keep the others waiting in anticipation for too much longer."

"Is that all?" Kurama asked as politely as he could. Hiron nodded and dismissed the fox with a wave of his hand. Kurama bowed and started to walk away when Hiron called to him. The fox stopped immediately and looked over his should at his guardian, who had an arrogant smirk gracing his face.

"Make sure that you keep that little monster of yours under control."

A tight smile found its way to Kurama's face as he turned and bowed once again to his guardian. "Of course, Uncle," he said before walking away, trying to keep his anger from his steps and posture. As soon as he left the garden and entered the corridor, his thoughts exploded, causing Yoko's consciousness to cringe. '_THAT ARROGANT BASTARD!_'

'_**He does have a point, though, Kit,**_' Yoko said cautiously, trying to hide his amusement, and trying not to anger Kurama. The red-headed fox glared at a sculpture across the hall, pretending it was Yoko's face.

'_Do you find this funny?_' Kurama mentally growled. Yoko faked being offended and hurt.

'_**Of course not, Kit, I was simply trying to point out that your dear guardian is right about one thing.**_'

'_And what would that be?_' Kurama's mental voice still held an edge of anger to it. Yoko smirked at his question.

'_**You'll likely find it hard to keep Hiei under control. He doesn't seem the type who would enjoy parties, especially the ones hosted in this household.**_

Kurama released a defeated sigh, releasing his anger in the same breath. '_That's true enough. I'm doubtful if he'll even be able to handle the tailor.._'

'_**He really dislikes being touched, doesn't he?**_'

'_Judging from the level of amusement in your voice, I'm going to guess that you are predicting chaos._'

Yoko smirked. '_**You know me well, Kit, and yes, I am. Would you expect anything less from him?'**_

Kurama shook his head, beginning to walk back to his room. '_Of course not. After all, that's why you first took an interest in him, is it not?_'

'_**And I'm always right,**_' the voice in Kurama's mind replied arrogantly.

- - -

Kurama entered his room as silently as he could, emerald eyes immediately searching for his slave. He found the fire demon seated on his bed and walked over to him with an apologetic smile on his face. "Hiei, I have some bad news." Blood-red eyes snapped up to meet the fox's with interest and caution. Kurama took a seat next to Hiei, only causing the fire demon to move further away, though he stayed on the bed. Kurama pretended not to notice the slave's discomfort, and hid the small frustration he felt himself behind a soft smile. "I'm assuming that you're not one for large groups of people or parties."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and gave Kurama one of his looks that told the fox he had said something idiotic. Kurama ignored the look, accepting it as Hiei's nature, though his reaction would have been different had the look been given by anyone other than the slave. The fox's smile did drop, though, and his expression turned more serious. "Lord Hiron has called for a celebration in your honor." Hiei's eyes flashed anger as soon as the name was mentioned, and his expression got no better as Kurama continued. "Unfortunately, I couldn't refuse. There is a tailor coming tonight to fit both of us for our clothing. I'll have to ask you to bear with him, and also to bear with all of the people that will arrive in three days. Can you do that?"

At some point during Kurama's speech, Hiei's arms had fallen to his sides. His fists were clenched so tightly at his thighs that his knuckles were quickly turning white. He was glaring down at them, his eyes inflamed dangerously. Those orbs snapped up to meed Kurama's as the fox shifted slightly on the bed.

Yoko chuckled slightly in Kurama's mind. '_**I believe that would be a 'hell no', don't you think, Kit?**_'

Kurama's expression remained calm as his eyes stayed locked to the fire demon's. "Look, Hiei, I don't want to go to this party much more than you do, but there is no way around it. Believe me when I tell you that fighting this will only make things worse."

"Why don't you just _make_ the slave do what you want?" a voice asked from Kurama's doorway. Hiei's eyes napped up to the speaker, his teeth bared in a silent growl. Kurama also looked up, almost releasing a sigh as he realized who it was. The man bowed to him, and Kurama nodded back.

"Suzuka."

The blond man looked offended. He walked further into the room, glaring at Kurama. "How many times must I tell you that I am the _Beautiful_ Suzuka? If you're not going to say my name right, don't say it at all."

Kurama found it quite difficult to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The fox had grown up with Suzuka so the strange demand, not to mention the rude attitude in front of a lord, was nothing new. Glancing over at Hiei, the fox found the fire demon staring back at him with a 'what the hell is _that_?' look on his face. "Hiei, this is the tailor I told you about, Suzuka," the fox said, gesturing to the man with his hand.

A vein popped in Suzuka's forehead. "The _Beautiful_ Suzuka," he muttered angrily before a more pleasant expression took over his face. He smiled and threw himself into a rather feminine pose. "Yes, I am the Beautiful Suzuka, and my work is held in awe all throughout the Makai! Men and women all around are filled with envy whenever they set their eyes on the beauty of both my clothing and myself! There is none better than I in all the land!"

Suzuka's speech was completely wasted on Kurama and Hiei, who stopped paying attention soon after the man said his name, though neither bothered to interrupt him. Their silence only seemed to encourage the tailor, causing his voice to become even more dramatic, his rant even more drawn out.

When the blond finally noticed that he had lost his audience, he glared at them, crossing his arms and looking much like a spoiled child who just had a toy taken away from them. "Well, let's get started then."

Hiei glared at the man and quickly moved further away from the other occupants of the room. Kurama watched him. Slightly worried that the slave would either attack or run. Suzuka looked from master to slave before sighing. "Lord Kurama," he said, and the fox looked up. "You first. We can show the slave that there's nothing to worry about."

A small smiled graced the fox's lips, and he silently thanked the tailor. "Yes, I think that would be best."

Suzuka pulled out something that could be compared to a human measuring tape. "Of course, we wouldn't have to do this again if you would stop growing."

"You speak as if it is my fault."

"Hold up your arm," Suzuka said, beginning to take Kurama's measurements. "I never said that it was your choice."

"So you say now," Kurama replied smoothly. Suzuka rolled his eyes as he continued with the measurements. As this process continued, Kurama stole glances at Hiei, who was watching intently, his gaze mistrusting as it fell on Suzuka.

Time passed, and the tailor finished with Kurama. He asked a few more questions before their gazes fell on Hiei. Suzuka looked wary, knowing that this would be one of his hardest jobs yet, but Kurama simply smiled at the slave. "Hiei, would you come over here, please?"

The fire demon glared, trying to move even further away, though he stayed on the bed. He soon hit the headboard, pressing himself against it. His glare moved from Kurama to Suzuka and intensified. The tailor sighed. "My lord, I don' think your slave is going to let me near him."

Kurama smiled at the slave reassuringly. "Hiei, you only have to do this once, and then it's over."

Hiei's glare shifted once again to Kurama, though there was now a hint of uncertainty in the crimson orbs, as if he was contemplating Kurama's request. Before the slave could make a decision, though, a feminine voice spoke from the doorway.(1) "I have seen enough of this foolishness."

Bother Kurama and Suzuka turned and bowed to the figure leaning gracefully on the doorframe. Hard grey eyes regarded the male demons before the female spoke again. "Kurama, control your slave or get rid of it."

Kurama bowed once again, though not as deeply. "Forgive me, Aunt, but-"

The woman glared at him as she interrupted. "I have told you not to call me your aunt, it makes me feel old."

Kurama bowed again. "Forgive me, Aina." Aina nodded, encouraging him to continue with what he was saying before she interrupted him. "I had hoped that we could resolve this without resorting to violence," the fox said, knowing his aunt's tenancies.

Aina rolled her eyes, though the childish act did not deter from her grace and obvious status, before smiling warmly at Kurama. "You have always been too nice for your own good," she told her charge, flicking her deep emerald hair over her shoulder, careful that it didn't catch on the two small, black horns positioned just above her forehead. "A slave is meant to be controlled, and punished to establish and keep that control. Do not think of them as you would an equal."

"Forgive me, Aina, but I cannot view slaves as you can," Kurama replied calmly, though his anger was rising. Aina was always kind and gentle with the nobles, but when it came to anyone beneath her social status, she became cold and merciless.

Aina laid her hand on Kurama's shoulder affectionately. "I know, and that's why I said you're too nice for your own good." Her gaze then went to Hiei, her grey eyes turning cold once again. "As for this slave," she said, taking steps closer to the fire demon. "It needs to be disciplined and taught to obey its master."

Her eyes flashed red as thin bolts of lightning sprang from her fingertips to strike Hiei. The fire demon fell face-down on the mattress, out cold. Aina turned back to Kurama and Suzuka, and, seeing the shocked look on the tailor's face, she winked at him. "That's only a little bit of what I can do," she said playfully before her voice became serious again. "The slave will only be unconscious for about two more hours, if his body does not resist the shock. Suzuka, I suggest you get to work." With that, she floated out of the room.

Suzuka stared after her. "That was strange. Seeing the lady of the house is rare. The most we usually see of her is at parties."

Kurama looked at him. "The residents of this household have grown used to random occurrences such as this one. We are used to the changes in her moods."

"Yeah, she's a hurricane."

Kurama shook his head. "Perhaps you should get to work, before Hiei wakes up."

Suzuka grimace. "Yeah, and then I have to come back before the part to pretty you boys up.." There was a short silence before Suzuka turned to the unconscious slace. "Might as well get this over with. Hey, would you mind giving me a hand, my lord?"

Kurama nodded, and together they set to work.

* * *

_**So.. I know that Kurama seems a lot less cool and collected than he does in the actual series, but, come on, he a teenaged boy. Even if he doesn't show it, I'm sure he gets really pissed off sometimes. Just because he's technically really, really old doesn't mean he can't have a temper! Besides, we have no idea what's going on in his thoughts. (Though most yaoi fans are convinced that he has many thoughts of molesting Hiei...)**_

_**1- Yes, this is going to happen a lot. Because I like it.**_

_**Yeah... This chapter was crap, I know. I'm sorry. But hey, Suzuka makes and appearance! And Kurama's aunt! Whoo!**_

_**So, I'm going to need help with planning out party outfits. I know I want, like.. Traditional or Feudal Japan-style outfits, but I'm not completely sure what they would look like. I need them for men and women, not just Kurama and Hiei. Anyway, yeah, help out if you can. I can't really write the new chapter until I have all of the characters' outfits. **_

_**Well, review please! Reviews keep me happy and unhappy NL doesn't write! **_


	4. Chaos Erupts

_**I.. really have no excuse for why it took so damn long for me to update.. -_-; I know, I'm a horrible person. BUT! Before you pull out your various weapons and such, remember! If you kill me, I can't write more chapters! –happy smile- **_

…_**I'm sorry it took so long! –cries in corner of woe-**_

_**Kuwabara: Don't cry, the power of love- **_

_**NL: -punches- Shut up, Kuwa, no one cares about your fluffiness with Yukina!**_

_**Kuwabara: -gasp!- YOU TAKE THAT BACK! **_

_**NL: NEVEEEERR! AHAHAHAHAAHAHA! –prances away-**_

_**Kuwabara: NOOOOOOOO!**_

_**Awes, it's okay, I know there're KuwaYukina fans –smile- It's kinda cute. But Hiei does not approve… **_

_**Oh yeah, I've hidden a special thing within this chapter and I wanna see how many of you lovely people are clever enough to find it… **_

_**

* * *

**_

The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter 4: Chaos Erupts

A growl erupted from his throat and the fire demon was positioned in a defensive crouch before his large eyes had even opened. Kurama glanced over at the slave from across the room where Suzuka was fussing over the fox-lord's appearance. The fox smiled apologetically at the slave. "Hiei, I hate to ask this of you after what Aina's done, but my guardians will not accept less than your appearance at this party."

Hiei glanced down at himself, noticing that he was no longer wearing the clothing he had been knocked unconscious in. The slave was now draped in a simple black male's kimono. A more elegant black collar was in place around his neck, complimented in its image of slavery by simple black bands encircling his ankles. His eyes flashed up to his master, another growl escaped him, expressing his displeasure.

Suzuka rolled his eyes at him. "Oh, be quiet, you look great."

The growl intensified and Kurama gave the blond a silencing glance. "Forgive me, Hiei, but neither of us has a choice in this matter."

The slave relaxed his stance, but his glare did not dissipate. He knew he would be forced to go one way or another, but that did not mean he had to enjoy the experience.

"'Finished!" Suzuka stated proudly a few minutes later, holding up a decorated silver mirror so that Kurama could see himself.

The fox frowned slightly at his reflection. "Suzuka, did you have to?"

Kurama was adorned in deep purple silk that fell to his ankles. The kimono was trimmed in silver along the fold and the ends of his sleeves. His waist was circled in a rich sapphire, blended with more streams of silver. The initial purple split just below that, revealing an under-layer of more sapphire. The fox's sleeves and collar were lined with beautifully intricate red roses.

The lord's creamy white skin was complimented by a light dusting of blush across his elegant cheek bones. His eyelids had been lined darkly to make the emerald shine even brighter. His lips had been colored, giving him a pouty look as he frowned. His hair had been twirled about a silver comb ornamented with more roses, and sat artistically atop his head. His manicured hands brushed his bands to the side before pushing the mirror away with an irritated sigh.

"You went overboard again," he said finally.

Suzuka waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, hush, you look gorgeous." He grinned. "Now you boys be good, I have to go make sure your _darling_ relatives are properly prettied up." He winked playfully and left the room.

Kurama looked over at Hiei, who had been staring at him. The fire demon's eyes were shining, and there was a curious twitch at one corner of his mouth, as if he was struggling to hold back a smile. The fox raised a delicate eyebrow at the slave. "Yes?" The twitch seemed to grow slightly, but Hiei simply crossed his arms and looked away, leaning comfortably against the wall.

"I should've let Suzuka put makeup on you too," the fox commented off-handily, earning him a vicious glare from the fire demon. The red-head broke out in a grin, but waited in silence after that for the festivities to begin.

- - -

The family descended into the ballroom, Kurama taking his place behind his guardians with Hiei shortly behind his left shoulder. All eyes locked on the small group and Kurama had to fight himself to keep from glancing back at the small, black-haired demon behind him. The fox knew well how uncomfortable the slave was feeling at that moment, but there was nothing he could do. In all honesty, the fox lord didn't care for being the center of attention much more than Hiei did.

Soon formal introductions began; a horrifically boring process that had Kurama squirming to get away, so he could hardly imagine hard it was for Hiei. Knowing this, the fox aimed for escape as soon as the guests became distracted by Lady Aina's beauty, as was always the case. Judging by his aunt's low-cut, forest green kimono, it wouldn't take long. The shining lightning bolts that were scattered across the garment only added to the effect.

Soon Kurama was pulling Hiei quickly through the crowd by his sleeve, leading him to a more secluded area in the room. He looked down worriedly at the fire demon. "Are you okay?" The ruby eyes burned darkly at the fox's question. The slave's whole body was tensed up, as if he was preparing for battle. He angrily wrenched his sleeve away from his master, leaving the fox started, for he hadn't realized he was still holding on.

The moment was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind and a loud shout of, "Oi, Touya, ah found 'em!" Footfalls were heard following after the voice, until two figures appeared before the master and slave.

The first looked much like Lord Hiron, so it was obvious they were related. His light blue hair was combed back, but his sea green bands fell in his face. Like Kurama's, the boy's ice-blue kimono was made of silk, but the design was simpler, showing that his social status was below the fox's.

They boy beside the bluenette floated in the air a few feet from the floor, his legs crossed beneath him. He had hair the same color as Kurama's, and there was a small horn nestled in the spiky strands. His blue eyes sparkled in amusement as he grinned at the fox lord. His kimono had the same design as Hiei's, but it was made of ivory colored silk.

Kurama nodded first to the blue-haired boy, then to his companion. "Touya, Jin, it's nice to see you again."

Touya's eyes held amusement as he half-bowed to the fox. "Lord Kurama."

Jin's grin seemed to widen. "'Rama, ya look like ah girl."

The fox glanced at Hiei just in time to see a barely visible smile flash on the slave's lips. '_Ah, so that's what he found so amusing earlier…'_

"Jin, I see you're still wearing that collar," Kurama replied with a smile. The mentioned demon's hand rose to the black circlet, a light pink covering his cheeks.

"Ya know, I was gonna get rid ah it, 'cuz ah wasn't a slave, but then ah figure ah got i' frim Touya, so.."

Hiei glanced questioningly at his master. "Jin used to be Touya's slave before he was freed."

The horned demon's eyes closed in happiness. "Yup! Bu' then ah liked 'em so much ah had ta stay. Righ', Touya?"

It was the bluenette's turn to be dusted pink. "Yes, Jin, now shut up!"

Too intent on the conversation, the fox lord failed to notice how Hiei's eyes had widened at the mention of Jin being a freed slave. By the time Kurama glanced back at the fire demon, the crimson eyes had narrowed again and the slave seemed to have closed in upon himself even more.

The large orbs widened once again when the small demon noticed blue eyes staring inches from his own. He jumped back with his teeth bared, a silent snarl aimed at the demon now floating a few feet away.

Jin laughed merrily at the slave's reaction. "Ah, so ya _are_ awake!"

"I wouldn't do that again," Kurama warned. Jin looked back hopefully at the fox, pouting slightly.

"Ya ginna introduce me?"

"This is Hiei," the fox said simply.

The floating demon's face broke into a grin again. "Come on, Hiei, ya gotta come pla' with me!"

"Jin," Touya started.

Kurama finished the thought. "Hiei's not really the 'playful' type." This time Jin pouted for a moment before a thought popped into his head and he flew closer to Hiei, planting his feet on the ground. Hiei took a quick step back, but this did nothing to deterr the spiky red-haired demon.

"Look wha' ah kin do!" Jin said, holding his hand, palm-up, before Hiei's eyes. A tiny tornado formed, and the sight seemed to please its creator to no end. "See? Ahm a win'demon. Wha' kin you do?"

Hiei glared and Kurama frowned, answering Jin. "He can't do anything for the time being, there's a ward sewn into his back. He's a fire demon."

A rare frown crossed the wind demon's face. "Tha bastard tha' kept ya, huh? Didn' trust ya? I rememba.." The bright smile retured. "Bu' that's okay, yar still ah goo'demon ta us! Righ', 'Rama?"

"Yes, Jin," the fox replied, his voice sounded like he was trying to please a small child.

The wind demon leaned in secretively toward Hiei, though he didn't bother to lower his voice. "Ya see tha' blue hair' guy ova there? Tha's Icy. He's me mate," he announced proudly.

Hiei, at this point, was staring at the other demons as if he was the only sane individual trapped inside an asylum. Kurama smiled warmly at him. "You'll get used to it." The flame-filled glare that replied told the fox that the slave didn't hope to stay that long.

"Oh no," Kurama looked over and saw that his other companions had aquired displeased auras.

"What is it?"

"Our cousin," Touya replied darkly.

Kurama grimaced as he remembered his uncle's earlier warning. "I can't help but wish that her parents would be robbed of their wealth so she was no longer granted access to these celebrations."

"I can' help bu' agree," Jin replied, and Touya nodded. Hiei looked on curiously, but the other demons continued to stare off into the crowd.

An attractive demoness approached, an eager look darkening her golden eyes, making her appear almost crazed. She grinned at Kurama, showing sharp canines, oblivious to the grimace her gesture received.

The bodice of her onyx kimono fell lower than Aina's, revealing a daring amount of cleavage that left half the demons in the room drooling in lust, envy, or a mixture of both as she passed them. The worst part of her beauty was that she knew about it, and so reveled in and used it in any way possible. Purple tinted claws brushed through her silky raven hair, drawing attention to the dainty horns atop her head, the piercing in the left strangely adding to her stunning appearance. She winked mischievously to the staring audience, blowing them a kiss before continuing to her prey.

With a seductive grin, she immodestly draped herself over Kurama, causing Jin and Touya to look away in disgust. The demoness paid them no mind as she focused all of herself on the fox lord. "Kurama, darling, how are you?" she asked smoothly.

"Hello Akemi," was his stiff reply.

Jin flew over and grinned at the female. "'e was ah lot better before ya came ova here, so ya be a goo' lass an' go away."

The golden orbs stared dully at the wind demon, and a cruel smile twisted Akemi's painted lips. "Perhaps you should learn to speak properly before to attempt to communicate with me again, pet. I've no idea what you just said."

Touya's eyes flashed in anger. "He told you to slither on, you disgusting wench!"

She looked him up and down as her pale fingers entwined in Kurama's crimson locks, much to the fox's discomfort. "I find it hard to believe that someone of your status would be _daring_ enough to insult me when it would just be _so_ easy to rip your high and might attitude away with the rest of your family's.. _wealth_."

There was a hint of a growl in Kurama's voice as he said, "Back _off_, Akemi."

Hiei took a step toward his master at this, his eyes beholding Akemi in disgust and hatred. His action, unfortunately, only served to direct the demoness's attention to himself. "And what is _this_?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice.

Jin quickly flew in front of Hiei, adopting a semi-protective stance as he stood between the slave and Akemi. "Ya hear' 'Rama, lass, move on," he said, completely serious for once.

Akemi locked eyes with Kurama. "Why don't you show me your new toy?" She leaned over so that she had a clear view of Hiei from around Jin. "Come here, pet, I promise my fangs are just for show."

"It's tha' sharp tongue ya shoul' watch for," Jin said immediately, bringing further amusement to Akemi.

Hiei stayed firmly in place, glaring daggers at the demoness. The amusement in Akemi's eyes soon dissipated. "Get the hell over here, you worthless slave!" When the fire demon didn't respond, the demoness left Kurama's side in a flash, pushing Jin out of the way in the same instant. Her sharp claws dug into Hiei's scalp, causing blood to trickle down his forehead, as she tried to pull him closer by the spikes of his hair.

The other demon's bared their teeth at her, not having had enough time to prevent the injury to Hiei. "_Akemi_!" Kurama growled dangerously, his eyes flashing gold.

Hiei glared calmly at the female and knocked her hand away, unaffected as chunks of his hair were wrenched from his scalp, resulting in more blood dripping down his face. A serpent's hiss escaped Akemi's lips. Her pupils turned to slits, her claws lengthened considerably, and a constant hiss resonated from her smooth throat. "You little whore," she hissed hatefully at the fire demon. "Kurama is _mine_. You have no right to be here, you nasty little bitch."

"**So which is it that holds **_**you**_**here, Akemi, pathetic loneliness or a thirst for power?**" Eyes flashed from opponent to a beautiful white youko with golden eyes that shone with anger. "**You've overstepped your boundries. That slave is my property; step away.**"

Hiei's eyes widened as he beheld the creature that had taken the place of his red-headed master. His face colored with confusion and mild fear. Yoko attempted to smile at the fire demon, but it came out as more of a lecherous smirk. This did not do much to quell the fear in Hiei's stomach, though the slave knew better than to display such fear in the face of such powerful demons.

"_He's mine!_" Akemi shouted, more hiss than words escaping her throat. She dug her claws into the smooth flesh of Hiei's throat. Yoko stepped foreward to pull the demoness away, but stopped once he saw how the intense hatred in Hiei's eyes bored into the snake. Calmly, the fire demon tightening his own fingers around Akemi's, breaking every bone within his grasp, successfully freeing his neck.

The snake demoness screamed in agony before lunging at the fire demon. Hiei landed a hit to her face, violently knocking her to the floor. As the demoness glared up at the slave from behind her bloody bangs, Yoko found he had gained a new respect for Hiei.

Soon the moment was shattered as Lord Hiron and Lady Aina stormed into the scene. "What the hell is going on here?!" the lord thundered.

"I told you to control that creature of yours," Aina said calmly, venomously.

Hiron took a deep breath so he could be calm enough to give orders. "Touya, help Lady Akemi to her feet, take your mate, and leave. Kurama, release that ridiculous form. Aina, my love, see that the slave is taken care of."

"But Uncle!" Kurama protested, interrupting his guardian. Hiron's eyes burned black fire into Kurama as he turned to him.

"You _will_ obey me, or you will find yourself alongside your slave in the dirty cage back at Fantasy Island. Remember that you are _still_ my charge and remain under my power until the day I depart from this world."

There was silence throughout the vast expanse of the room. Finally, Kurama gave into Hiron and agreed to follow orders.

"The rest of you," Hiron continued, addressing the crowd. "This celebration will soon come to an end. First, my nephew will give you all his formal apology for creating this mess. After that, please disperse."

They watched silently as Hiron left the room. "'Rama.." Jin began, but a look from Touya silenced him. They followed orders and left.

The fox was focused on the fire demon, who was glaring hostilely as Aina approached. Kurama would never forget the look of betrayal he saw in Hiei's eyes shortly before the slave was rendered unconscious by Aina's electricity. The young lord watched with sorrow-filled eyes as the helpless demon was carried away in the arms of his cruel guardian.

* * *

_**God I hate you, Akemi... Originally I was going to make her a basilisk, but.. I didn't want to give her that kind of power. **_

_**So is anyone else as excited about the new review button thingy as I am? ..Heh, I'm such a nerd (sweatdrop) **_

_**Anywho, did I do okay with Jin's accent? It's not too off or too hard to understand? If it is, do you have any tips for improvement?**_

_**I'm always looking to get better in my writing! (happy smile)**_

_**I don't actually plan to write in the scene where Hiei goes through Aina's "punishment" but I'll take a poll and see how many of you want to read it, then maybe I'll consider it. **_

_**So it would be completely amazing if any of you would like to draw any of my characters(especially my OCs) I love fanart and such. And fanfictions dedicated to me. That's always fun... And Xmas is coming up.. Just, ya know.. if anyone wanted to give me anything.. Because you love me.. HINT HINT! lol XD **_

_**So I'm tired, weary, but finally this chapter is finished! Please review, and please don't be so angry with me about the long wait. **_


	5. Battered and Broken

_**Hey guys, guess what? (smile) I got a review from shiorifoxiesmom!!!!! And I fangirl squeed… (sweatdrop) **_

_**Anywho! (happy face) Yeah.. I've been neglecting updates. I know I always make excuses, but things **_**have**_** been hectic and such lately. **_

_**Anyway, that doesn't matter because this is the next chapter! Yaaaay! **_

_**By the way, there was quite a landslide when it came to voting yes on torturing Hiei. But! As I care for all of my readers, I made the scene somewhat mild. (Ah.. I can hear the groans of complaint now) Oh well, it had to be done. **_

* * *

The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter 5: Battered and Broken

Blades, daggers, swords; even an iron maiden- all of these littered the cruel room buried deep into the earth. More complicated devices of torture littered the floor and walls of the place, all of them reeking of dried blood, tears, sweat, and the gods could only guess at what else. There were chains hanging from every wall, and some from the ceiling. These were obviously intended to hold demons in place as weapons were thrust into them, their flesh torn; devices violating their very being.

The thorned, ebony whip tore through flesh as it fell continuously upon the victim's back. Crimson rain splattered the uncaring cement, painting it like a demented easel. "_Why won't you scream?!_" the shriek fell from angelic lips, twisting over porcelain razor blades.

Blood trickled down the tortured's face, wetting his dry eyes as if he were crying crimson tears. He was utterly silent, his expression blank. Deep in his eyes burned a shallow fire- a black hatred waiting to consume those who would cause him pain.

A banshee scream erupted from the woman brandishing the whip. The loud echoes of shattering bones echoed through the room, yet still the wounded demon remained enveloped in silence. The sadistic female leaned down by her prey, a sickening smile plastered on her face. "I _will_ break you, my dear slave... I will make you scream."

Slowly, he turned to her, his crimson eyes burning more intensely. She leaned back, a smirk on her face. The condescending look was quickly replaced by one of indignant disgust as the slave's saliva dripped down her beautiful cheek.

_Slap_! Blood flew from his lips, splattering once more on the tainted floor. He turned to glare at her once again, and she cut his chains, allowing him to fall the five feet to the mercilessly cold, hard floor. She strutted out the heavy iron door, peeking in once to blow a kiss to her victim before leaving, locking up behind her.

He stared into the darkness, unseeing. There was a horrible silence that pounded into the ears like a jackhammer. Then there was a soft clicking sound at the door before it slowly swung open.

Kurama's wide emerald eyes sadly drank in the sight of splattered blood, torn flesh, and broken bones. As the smells of torture invaded his nostrils, he couldn't fight down his disgust. Even worse, he couldn't help but feel that he was to blame for this atrocity.

"Hiei.." the sad, desperate whisper escaped the fox's lips without his noticing. When the fire demon didn't respond, Kurama rushed forward in search of signs of life. Blank eyes rolled up to stare at the lord, no comprehension in the nearly lifeless orbs. Hiei was broken, as Kurama knew the slave had been so many times before.

Blood showered the dungeon floor as Kurama plucked Hiei from the lake of crimson. "I'm so sorry, Hiei…" the fox whispered to the broken doll in his arms. "If I'd known, I.."

With a soft shake of the fox's head, he carried the smaller demon away. Away from the pain and torture the fox had caused, away from the darkness of the dungeon. And Kurama couldn't help but must at how fitting it was that he wielded a thorned flower. Beautiful, delicate, but its thorns tore through anything that came too close.

* * *

Weeks passed with Kurama slowly nursing Hiei back to health. The lord's plants should have healed the fire demon within a couple of days, but the wounds from Aina's whip could not be healed so easily. Nevertheless, the fox tried his best and it was likely that, in the end, Hiei would be left with only a few pale scars marring his small body.

The slave had never spoken to his master, never been social, but Kurama was sure that the two of them had previously formed a weak bond in there short time together. After the torture, though, Hiei became even more distant than before he was brought to the lord's home. Where there had been nonverbal communication before, now there was nothing; simply a blank stare into the distance. The fox began to wonder just how broken the fire demon was.

"Hiei, I've brought you food," Kurama said softly, balancing two bowls of steaming stew. The slave didn't move, didn't make eye contact, even as one of the bowls was presented to him. The fox-lord frowned sadly. "Hiei, you really have to eat. You're becoming too skinny, and I think you're developing a fever." Thoughtlessly, the fox brushed the back of his hand across Hiei's sweaty forehead.

"_Agh!_" A crash echoed through the room as the bowls landed on the floor, the food splattering both demons. Louder than the crash, though, was the growl erupting from the fire demon's throat. Blood trickled down his chin from where his teeth were clamped down on his master's forearm. Kurama's teeth were lightly piercing his own lip as he attempted not to cry out again.

"H-Hiei.." the fox stuttered, a rarity for one so noble. "Please… I won't hurt you. I'm sorry.."

Crimson eyes widened as light came to the slave's eyes. He seemed to suddenly take note of his actions, quickly releasing the fox's arm. He wiped the blood from his lips on the back of his hand, panic overtaking his features. He backed away from Kurama until he hit the wall, slouching down into a defensive crouch.

"Hiei, please!" Kurama's voice was more desperate now. "Calm down!"

Their eyes held each others as Hiei's breathing slowly steadied and he fell to the floor, an exhausted stance. He slowly ran his tongue over his teeth and lips, tasting the remnants of his master's blood. Kurama watched in fascination as this happened, unable to look away.

Slowly, cautiously, Hiei stood up and began to move toward Kurama. The fox stayed as still as possible, not wanted to scare the other away. When he was close enough, the fire demon tilted his head awkwardly to attempt to see the arm he had bitten. Kurama offered him a better view, and, without moving, Hiei inspected the angry wound.

No emotion crossed the slave's face, no look of remorse or disgust at what he had done. He stared at the fox's face has his small hand slowly reached out toward the bite mark, running a finger through the drying blood. He brought it back to his face, delicately touching his tip of his tongue to the liquid before wiping it away on his clothing and going to rest in the far corner of the room.

Kurama stood in awe, staring at the little slave glaring at him from across his bedroom. He couldn't quite comprehend the fire demon's actions, but he could only interpret the gesture as one of apology. He couldn't help but hope that this was a sign of a developing relationship between the two of them. He went to sleep in peace that night, though the slave stayed curled in a ball in the corner.

* * *

It was near morning when Kurama was awakened by a voice in the back of his mind. '_**Kit! Hurry! Wake up!**_'

Hearing this, the fox jolted up in bed, quickly looking searching the room for enemies. Not finding any, his blinked his bleary eyes in confusion. '_Yoko..? What is it?_'

'_**Open your eyes, baka! Our little pet's gone!**_'

Hearing this, Kurama was out of bed within a matter of seconds. Soon he was searching the building top and down, not finding any signs of the fire demon. After his inspection, he rushed to the gardens, sending energy to his plants to see if they knew where the slave had wandered off to. There were traces of his energy on the plants heading away from the castle, but the wards sewn into his back made the signal too weak to follow.

Despite Kurama's best efforts, he realized with despair that Hiei could not be found that night. He vowed that, even if it consumed years of his life, he would not stop searching until the slave was found.

_**

* * *

**_

Yeah, that just happened. XD

_**So, I'm not sure how I'm going to go about completing this story. I'm not certain whether I should switch between Kurama and Hiei (one perspective for alternating chapters) or do something else. I know I don't want to reveal any of Hiei's thoughts until he speaks, though, so that makes this even more challenging. If you have any ideas, please let me know.  
**_

**_Sorry this chapter's rather short, but at least it's up, right? _**

_**Review? (grins) **_


	6. Into the Woods

**_I'm sure you all hate me by now. (sweatdrop) I took so long to update, and now this is pretty much a filler chapter. But it's necessary! I promise! And hey, at least I updated finally! _**

**_Unfortunately, I fear I may have created the characters to be rather... OOC. 'Tis very unfortunate. _**

**_Also, much of this chapter might be confusing right now, but it'll all be explained later! (waves arms mysteriously)_**

**_Also! I choose to blame my lack of updating this time on these two distractions. (points)_**

**_Matt: (plays video games)_**

**_Mello: (munches chocolate)_**

**_NL: ...Don't you two ignore me now! First you wouldn't leave me alone and now... Ugh! _**

**_Matt and Mello: (makes out)_**

**_NL: Yeah... Distracting, isn't it? YOU SEE?!... Also, for those who are interested, I decided to take part in a little fanart contest. My entry consists of Hiei dressed in a cute little Cinderella-esce dress. (grins) It's soooo cuuuute! _**

**_

* * *

_**

_Fear. Hate. Anger._

_Run away, run away._

_Blood. Cage. Death. Sex._

_Run away, run away, run away._

_

* * *

_

Woodcutter's axe slung carelessly over one shoulder, the man wandered through the peaceful forest. The grin that split his features seemed both serene and excited. He walked further and further into the expanse of trees, eventually stopping at an overgrown clearing.

A chuckle fell from his lips as his gaze landed on a small figure crumpled on the ground, nearly entangled with the undergrowth who ruled the domain. "You got in over your head, didn't you, Shorty?"

He crouched down to inspect his discovery. The small male lay unconscious, spiked hair pasted to the unnaturally pale skin of his forehead with coagulated blood. His clothing was tattered and his hands were bloodied from thorns and battle. Dirt was crusted on his body, streaked in some places from blood flow.

The man dropped the axe to his side as he took hold of the smaller male by his midsection and positioned him so that his body occupied the axe's former resting place. A pleasant tune came from the man's pursed lips as he began the trek back to his home- a small cabin in the woods.

* * *

Hiei's eyes snapped open and he immediately assumed a defensive stance. A soft _thud_ was heard as a fist impacted with his skull. He bared his teeth at the offending creature with slicked-back hair.

"Knock it the hell off!" the man shouted in annoyance. "You're reopening your wounds!"

The fire demon's crimson eyes searched his surroundings a moment before he settled as far away from the other demon as he possibly could. He brought his knees up to his chest, peering over them with a piercing glare directed at the loud man before him.

" I carried you back here, so you better damn well appreciate my efforts." The man grinned arrogantly at the confused-looking slave. "I'm Yusuke, by the way. You've been here for about.. Three weeks?"

Hiei's eyes widened considerably and Yusuke burst into a fit of laughter. "You should see your face!"

"Please don't tease him," a soft voice chimed from the doorway. The demon it belonged to appeared far more angelic than her heritage should have allowed. She had a childish face framed by soft blue hair and defined by large, almond-shaped eyes. She was dressed in a beautiful cerulean kimono and lingered in the doorway like a scared little bird.

Yusuke noticed how the fire demon's eyes were locked on the demoness and nudged him roughly in the side. To this, Hiei started and shrank back into the little space left between himself and the wall. Yusuke grinned, seemingly unperturbed by the fire demon's discomfort. "Pretty, isn't she? Yukina, come introduce yourself!"

The attractive demoness bowed and floated closer to the males. "I'm Yukina. I hope you don't mind, but I have been tending to you while you were unconscious. Oh, and you've only been here for a few days! Yusuke-kun was just joking."

The man laughed once again. "Yeah, and your reaction was priceless!" He suddenly stood from where he'd been at rest on the floor, slapping his hands against his thighs. "Welp, time to work!"

Hiei and Yukina watched him wave as he departed from the cabin, axe in hand. There was a silence as they sat there, the runaway slave observing his surroundings, and the girl nervously fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. "Um.. I should probably go start dinner…" Yukina said, her eyes diverted nervously from Hiei. When her ears picked up on no response, she began to leave, but was prevented from doing so by fingers quickly wrapping around her delicate wrist.

Her eyes followed along the path of his arm to meet with his gaze. It held such a sense of pleading desperation that she immediately fell to her knees at his bedside, her captive arm resting on the mattress. After a few moments a calm seemed to settle over Hiei. His posture became more relaxed, though he guarded himself with arms crossed before his chest. His eyes now refused to meet Yukina's and his face held a look that could be interpreted as perplexed embarrassment.

"I wish you would speak to me," Yukina admitted meekly. "I mean, I know that I don't know you or anything, but… I think I could help you better if you would tell me what's wrong.."

She rested her head on the arm that still lay on the bed. Her gaze was left toward the open doorway, so she was unable to see the demon staring at her. Silence overtook the small room, both of its occupants losing themselves in their thoughts.

* * *

_So many screams piercing the beautiful night. So harsh the flames that melted the houses of glass. _

_The sight was enough to leave anyone breathless. Fire and water raining down- painting their glorious portrait of destruction. _

_And so the city of angels fell to the earth, shattering like so many broken mirrors. A lovely assortment of scars and bloodied hearts left in the wake of the flowing waterfall. _

* * *

"I'm home!" Yusuke shouted, rudely slamming open the cabin door. He proudly presented a small rope from which dangled to dead rabbits. "Brought dinner!"

Yukina blinked the sleep from her eyes and Hiei glared angrily from being awakened as well. Yukina's eyes widened in horror as they fell upon the small creatures that had fallen victim to the arrogant demon in the doorway. "Yusuke-kun!" she cried, tears welling up.

He frowned, setting his catch on the table. "Oh c'mon, Yukina, we have to eat. Especially since we have to feed Shorty now." Hiei's glare intensified at the remark while the demoness nodded sadly.

"I suppose you're right," she reluctantly admitted. Yusuke crouched down so that he was eye level with her as she continued to kneel on the floor. A tint of sympathy found its way into his expression. "I'll make food tonight, okay?"

She smiled gratefully. "Yes. Thank you, Yusuke-kun."

* * *

Time passed and gradually life fell into an odd sort of order. Bonds seemed to grow between the three residents of the small cabin until Yusuke found himself gazing upon what he had deemed to be his small, acquired family. They may have been of no blood relation, but he felt a protective instinct to watch over them in a way akin to that of a father or older brother.

Exchanges were no longer so tense as when Hiei had first appeared in their lives. Days were spent with Yusuke teasing the two younger demons, often making Yukina smile as he chuckled at Hiei's annoyed glares. Eventually, the fire demon was even found helping with the many chores required of the self-sustaining household. This, of course, was much due to Yukina's persuasion, as Hiei seemed more than willing to do what he could to please her.

In fact, Yusuke quickly found that Hiei seemed to have developed an especially strong bond with the girl. The fire demon became quite protective whenever Yusuke's teasing went too far for the demoness' liking. To the fire demon's credit, though, he did try with all his might to stay as excluded from the family as possible with Yukina trying her hardest to make him welcome. Despite this, the girl, too, found her own way too distance herself.

Never in their time spent together did any of the three bring up their pasts. They focused solely on the present tasks life presented them. Though they would wish to disillusion themselves into believing otherwise, they all knew that soon enough the past would wriggle its way back into their lives. It would travel the path to their secluded area of the woods and once again sink its teeth into their souls.

It was impossible to hide forever.

* * *

**_I promise I really DO love you all and I will get up a chapter will more content someday! _**

**_Please review. (happychibismile)  
_**


	7. Search Party

_**Yeah... There's really no excuse for not updating. I mean, I could say that life's been busy or I've not had access to the internet, but.. I'm sure I could've found the time. I think the biggest problem was that this is kind of a filler chapter and I'm more into the action! xD Anyway, enjoy.  
**_

* * *

The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter 7: Search Party

Fifteen tall-backed chairs lined the room, forming a large semi-circle. A table curved before them, connecting them into a fluid shape. They were raised up from the floor below so that the chair's inhabitants could look down on anyone who dared stand before them. Each chair of the Council was filled with a leader of the prestigious royal families except for one, which lay in a forgotten, dark corner.

Kurama kneeled before this council, pleading with them for help on his new-found quest. "I humbly ask only for a small search party.. And of course permission to be granted so that my search is not met with ill will."

His request was answered by frowns of disapproval and, from those lacking in self-control, sneers of contempt. An amused snort escaped Akemi's polished nose before a glare from the Head of Council forced her to resume silence. "Do not forget, young Akemi, that you sit with this council as a favor _only_," the white-haired elder scolded before turning on Kurama. "As for you... Your request is inexplicably trivial and therefore it was ridiculously foolish of you to bring it before this revered council. Were you not in Lord Hiron's care, you would be punished for such unchecked arrogance. As it stands, I would suggest that you forget about this unruly slave before it causes your actions to become even more thoughtless."

Kurama bowed deeply, ignoring both the stoney glare from Hiron and the look of pity from Touya's father. "I thank you kindly for your time, High Lord Ryuuka." The man was about to dismiss the fox before Kurama looked up sharply with gold-tinted irises. The entire room cringed at the sight of Yoko's eyes, and he smirked vainly in his mind. "_Call me whatever nasty names you choose, but Hiei __**will**__ be returned to us._" His smirk leaked outward as his turned on his cousin's father. "_Perhaps Jin can be his playmate on his return. What do you think, __**Uncle Daiki**__?_"

The man's face reddened with shameful embarrassment for not having defended Touya's mate's former life. If anyone present in that room knew the truth of slavery, it was Daiki. He smiled slightly at Kurama, and the red-head knew that he had at least one ally to his decision. The Head of Council, however, was another matter. This man's age-hardened face had darkened considerably and he was on his feet, hands planted firmly on the counter's surface in an attempt to hide his enraged trembling. He was obviously having some trouble hiding his anger. "_Kurama_, you are _dismissed_!" The arrogant fox bowed once more before exiting the room.

"_So what do we do now?_" The youko asked with amusement clear in his tone as the gold bled away from Kurama's eyes. The was only a hint of sinister smiled left on the body's face as the other personality regained control. The fox lord smiled and Yoko grinned. "_**It's been far too long since we've left the castle.**_"

* * *

The moon was full as it kissed the broad leaves of the Makai flowers. Their thorned fangs reached eagerly toward the visitors, but their master's energy quickly soothed their bloodthirst. The red-headed fox led a small group into his secret meeting ground, a clearing surrounded by some of hid deadliest pets. They all stood facing each other in a circle, discussing their plans.

"But wha' ef 'e doesn't wanna come back?" Jin asked worriedly, receiving in reply a smirk from a silver youko.

"_**He'll come back.**_"

Touya frowned in disapproval at the startled expression on his mate's face because of Yoko's tone. "Jin does have a point, I'm sure Hiei had good reason to run away. What if he finds more happiness away from all of this?" He made a sweeping motion toward the castle. Kurama's face was pitifully masked to hide his worry, and Lord Daiki smiled in encouragement.

"Don't worry, Kurama, I'm sure all will be as it should."

"O' course!" The excited wind demon cheered. "Me an' Icy'll help ya out howeve' we can!"

The group started at a low chuckle. "A secret meeting in my own garden." They exchanged fearful looks at being caught by Lord Hiron. The lord of the castle stared directly into Kurama's eyes, whose gaze didn't falter. "How amusing; a charge of mind discussing treason under in my own territory. You know the Royal Laws forbid you from going against the Council's wishes. And Daiki, my dearest brother, tainting the walls of my home."

"Uncle-!" Kurama was quickly silenced as Hiron help up his hand, a polite sign that he wasn't yet finished speaking.

"When your aunt finds out what you're doing, she'll be furious. Do you know the fate you're sentencing your slave to if you drag it back here The torture she's already dealt was only nearly a prelude," he smirked at the subtle spikes of fury present in the others' energy.

"She can try!" Touya began before he was interrupted by Kurama calling his name angrily. The fox held eyes with his guardian, fiercely calm.

"You advised me once that problems are to be dealt with in an orderly manner as they present themselves. Who did you risk my plants to inform us of things I've known all along?"

Hiron laughed good-naturedly. "_Risk_? Honestly, you should know I can handle myself concerning a few wild plants." When no response was offered, he continued in a more somber manner. "I came to tell you that I will not be held responsible for the actions of a rebellious demon who's just come of age. Any punishment decreed will be on your own shoulders to deal with."

As the lord dismissed himself, Daiki watched his departure with a smile on his face. "I believe you've just been given a blessing, Kurama."

The fox returned the bluenette's smile, bewildering Jin and Touya. "Uncle never did enjoy getting his hands dirty."

Still watching the exchange, Jin leaned down toward his mate's shoulder. "Oi, Icy?" he whispered loudly. "Are ya as confused as I?"

Touya nodded slowly. "Yes Jin; I feel as if we've missed something important."

* * *

Blood spilled forth from the shrieking winged demon as Kurama's rosewhip tore through its feathered flesh. "_**Yes, it's been **_**far**_** too long since we've been out, Kit**_," Youko stated with mirth. "_**They've forgotten their lord they should fear!**_"

"I'm getting tired of these demons holding us back!" Kurama shouted to Jin and Touya, ignoring the voice's comment.

"I'm tryin' my hardest 'Rama," Jin whined innocently, his large pointed ears drooping slightly.

"We _are_ trying to help, cousin," the ice demon elaborated on his mate's rather immature remark. "We want Hiei back as much as you do."

Jin nodded enthusiastically. "He's like me; 'e should be happy too!"

The fox sighed in exasperation, attempting to rein in his emotions. "I know that, and I apologize for my rudeness. It's only that we've been in this forest for weeks and there's been little sign of him."

Touya laid his hand sympathetically on the plant wielder's shoulder. "I understand your frustration, but you must have patience."

A small smile found it's way to Kurama's before-stern face. Childhood memories flowed peacefully through his mind as he knew they did in his blue-haired cousin's. "There was once a day when I told you the same." They grasped hands, Touya returning the friengly smile. Jin grinned, flying through so that he broke apart the handshake.

"C'mon guys, let's go!" He flew ahead, leading the way into the dark and foreboding forest. Touya shook his head in amusement toward his mate's antics before following the flying man past the trees.  
'_How can they be so happy?_' Kurama thought in wonder as he stood watching his companions' flirtatious banter. '_**Is that **__**envy**__**? Careful, Kit...**_" Youko whispered with a teasing smirk. '_**You'll end up like your aunt.**_'

"_Never!_' Kurama growled back and his counterpart laughed. Bickering seemed eminent before the foxes heard the telltale signs of fighting up ahead. The red head sprinted quickly toward the fight.

Ice and wind combined to form wintry tornadoes to attack their opponent. The other demon sent a quick blast of energy in their direction, forcing Jin to fly Touya to safety. The wind demon sent small tornadoes toward his opponent and the black-haired demon rushed quickly toward him, fists flying. An ice sword sprouted from the ice demon's arm and he lunged at the opposing demon. The fight continued.

By the time Kurama made it to the clearing of fallen trees and debris, both Jin and Yusuke were to one side laughing and Touya looked on in bewildered amusement. Jin's ears wiggled happily and he grinned when he spotted the lord's entrance. "'Rama, ahve never had so much fin in mah life!"

The fox glared at the demons' enjoyment. "Have you forgotten why we are in this place?" he hissed.

Yusuke's laughed ceased, but a toothy grin remained as he elbowed Jin in the thigh (as the wind demon was floating, and thus, his side unreachable). "Who's the guy with the stick shoved up his ass?"

Touya's face paled slightly and his amusement sobered. He knew well his cousin's aversion to insults, so he was far from surprised when Kurama moved threateningly toward Yusuke. The fox stood tall over the demon sitting on the forest floor and growled, "I am Kurama, high lord of the Makai. I do not appreciate your lack of respect _or_ your ignorance. If I had been any other royal, your entrails would have spilled where you now lounge."

"Nice to meet you," Yusuke said, his smile intact. He held his hand out toward the fox lord in the friendly gesture of meeting, shocking the redhead into silence.

* * *

**_Yeah.. I'd have to say I'm not the fondest of this chapter.. Except for the ending because it makes me laugh. xD _**


	8. A Cottage in The Woods

**_Oh god the writer's block I got toward the bottom of this chapter. 0_o_**

**_Anywho, would anyone like to be my editor/beta reader? =D I would appreciate you! Unfortunately, if this person procrastinates as much as I do nothing will ever get done. xD_**

**_I will no longer make excuses as to why I took to long to update. _**

**_

* * *

_**

The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter Eight: A Cottage in the Woods

A flash of gold; an amused grin. "_**Fearless. I respect that.**_" He grasped Yusuke's hand firmly while his red-headed counterpart silently steamed. Jin happily glanced from one demon's face to the other, his ears twitching slightly. Touya was more uncertain, his face a thoughtful mask. He looked to his mate, perplexed by such optimistic certainty, then to his cousin, waiting for his next move as the upper-family guardian he was raised to be. "So, _Yusuke_," the red-headed fox said releasing his hand, mild disgust poisoning his tongue at the mention of the demon's name. "What are you doing out here?"

The woodsman stood, brushing the fertile soil from the back of his frayed green pants. "I live here," he said, not seeming to notice Kurama's irritability. His grin was present at the time of his second comment. "What about you, fox boy?"

There was a flash of anger before a carefully calculated mask was conjured to bury the emotion. Kurama reminded himself that it was impossible for this common forest-dweller to know of his lineage, and that under normal circumstances he should not have cared about such things. "We are searching for someone," he said shortly, his voice calmly firm. He glanced around the clearing, taking note of the ki signatures of the plants. The most dangerous signatures were well-hidden here, so it was very possible that any demon without the lord's powers could find themselves at the mercy of any of the carnivorous plants. He tried not to let it bother him when he envisioned his pet wandering through this part of the forest. Instead, he focused on his doubt of the dark-haired demon in front of him. "You cannot honestly expect me to be under the delusion that you take residence _here_."

Yusuke ignored Kurama's comment, which did nothing to dispel the royal blood from boiling. "Looking for someone? Why don't you stop by my place before you go on?"

"A'righ'!" Jin said quickly before the other two could protest. There was a mischievous glint in his large green eyes as he leaned back on the air, folding his arms behind his head. "It'll be fun, righ', 'Rama? Icy?"

The thin wooden door slammed against the wall as Yusuke threw it open and bellowed, "Yukina, we have guests!"

The dainty girl appeared in the entryway, a rosy sheen dusting her pale cheeks. "Yusuke-kun, you should have warned me," she scolded gently, smoothing the fabric of her kimono as the group entered her home. The men looked her over, Jin smiling brightly while the other two appeared merely to be observing her as part of their surroundings. Kurama's mood had soured since meeting Yusuke, which had caused his thoughts to darken. '_I don't trust her.' _

Yoko rolled his eyes, finding his other's suspicions unfounded. '_**She's nothing more than a child.**_'

'_She could be his mate,_' the red-head pointed out, believing his reasoning to be perfectly rational. The silver-haired man laughed, mocking the younger demon. Kurama reached closer with his energy, knowing there was something he had missed. Yukina's ki signature was pure; she had not yet been marked by another demon. He could sense Yoko's approving, yet sarcastic, grin. '_Still... With someone like _him_ as her partner, she cannot be as innocent as she appears.'_

The youko shook his head from side to side at what he believed to be foolishness. '_**We'll see, kit…**_'

As the fox-lord puzzled over the cottage's inhabitants, Jin decided to ignore his teammates' gloom in favor of being his usual, over-friendly self. "Hi, a'm Jin!" the spikey red-head announced excitedly, floating before Yukina and offering his hand, reaching over his crossed legs to do so. The girl blushed again, taking his hand timidly. She was interrupted from her self-introduction by an exclamation escaping the hyperactive wind-demon. "Icy, she's cold like you!"

"A female ice demon?" Touya asked curiously, meeting his cousin's eyes. "I thought they were rare."

"They _are_." The fox's eyes were flecked with gold. There had been rumors of a race that would fit Yukina's description, but they had mainly been passed off as myths.

The males of Touya's race, those that did not choose same-sex mates, looked outside their own species in order to start a family. Luckily, the ice-demon gene was as dominant as the one which caused the birth of males, so there was no risk of extinction for the race. While there were a few known females of the race, they were exceedingly rare, and often resembled the males much more than this dainty female. The old myth lingering in Yoko's mind, however, was of a time when there were an equal number of female ice apparitions.

The she-demons of ice were more often then not born with powers exceeding their male counterparts. It was well-known that these males have an excessive hubris, and that females should outmatch them in any sort of way was an unpleasant blow to this pride. Because of this, there was an underground decision to try to diminish the rate at which mothers gave birth to daughters. Those that agreed to this treachery, if they could not sense and destroy the daughters at birth, made certain that they perished soon-after. Though the horrid deeds were meant to be kept secret, they were not something that could be hidden for long. After all, ki weapons left signatures behind. Soon the females found out, and exiled the men from their city. Without the ability to reproduce, the population of ice demons steadily dwindled, until suddenly the males witnessed a growth in the female population. They had thought such a thing impossible, as, up to this point, interspecies mating was unfeasible. This igniting their desire for a war with the females, feeling the sting of betrayal, not realizing that the she-demons had simply adapted so that they were able to reproduce without males. It was obvious that the more-powerful females should dominate the battles, but they were often more peaceful than their once-mates, who had forever disciplined themselves in the art of combat. Favoring peace, leaders of the female village used all of their powers to remove their city from the Makai's ground, vowing and forbidding themselves ever to mate with males again. They became known as the Koorime, or the ice-women who floated in the sky. Eventually, the males evolved as well, into the ice demons of the modern realm.

Kurama smiled to himself as the images his mind's inhabitant had presented concluded their parade across his mind. It was a fairytale, and nothing more. It was amusing to him that the powerful youko would know such a story; something that would be told to children before they fell into slumber. Yoko glowered, a blow to his own pride being dealt at the fox-lord's silent teasing. Kurama breathed a mental sigh of relief. '_At least he's finally quiet…_' He cringed at the sharp pain he felt beneath his temple- Yoko's reminder that the red-head's thoughts were not solely his own to keep.

"'RAMA!" Jin shouted, causing the mentioned demon to jump back, baring his teeth in warning and surprise. The wind-demon fell back on the air, laughing heartily. He clutched his stomach as he tried to speak. "Ya shoulda… seen yer face!"

Yusuke's laughter had joined, and he slapped Kurama and the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Where were you, man? You almost looked happy for a second there!"

As the two more light-hearted demons laughed carelessly, Touya watched his relative for signs of a battle. He knew how much the fox didn't like to be insulted or made fun of, and he did _not_ like to be touched by…anyone, really. Touya could only wait to see if these antics would spark an anger the ice demon would be responsible to control. Fortunately, the lord seemed to have his emotions in check, and resigned himself to silently steaming once again. Yukina watched the entire scene in confusion, finally allowing herself a small smile at the joy Yusuke and Jin were experiencing.

After Yusuke caught his breath, he threw an arm around Yukina's small shoulders. "So where's the shrimp?" he asked, laughter tears drying in his eyes.

"Akagan-sama is out hunting," she replied, softly cheerful. The dark-haired man shrugged.

"Guess he can meet these guys later."

"Will our guests be staying for dinner?" the girl implored politely.

"o' course!" Jin answered, once again taking the initiative to answer for his friends, who glowered at the happy red-head. He flew closer to Yukina, his closed eyes curving into cheerful half-circles. "If tha's okay with tha lady o' course."

The blue-haired female glanced down at her hands. "Well, it's Yusuke-kun's house…"

"The more the merrier!" Yusuke announced, just as they heard the back door slam open.

The short, black haired demon they had searched so long for was calmly taking off his dirty boots in the back walkway, his unfortunate prey tied with a stiff rope hanging over his shoulder. The room was silent as the search party stared at him, and slowly his eyes rose to meet those of his master. "Hiei..?" Kurama asked in disbelief.

* * *

_**Ooooh cliffy! xD What's gonna happen? I don't really know... We'll find out together!**_

_**Review?  
**_


	9. Combat

**_So you may all notice a significant lack of typos and grammatical errors in this chapter. You can all thank my lovely editor, __Blissfulnightmare's True Form, for this wonderful gift. In fact, if it were not for dearest Bliss, I would probably not have been motivated for another, what, _six months_? (laughs) Yeah, my updating skills are severely lacking. Anywho, Miss Editor and I are also working on fixing all of the silly errors in the rest of the story and revised chapters will be posted as soon as we're done._**

**_Without further ado, enjoy the exciting chapter nine!  
_**

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The Lord of Roses and the Shackled Dragon

Chapter Nine: Combat

_The room was silent as the search party stared at him, and slowly his eyes rose to meet those of his master. "Hiei..?" Kurama asked in disbelief._

The black-haired demon's almond-shaped orbs were widened to shining, fear-filled moons at the sight of Kurama. Hiei was back outside before anyone could move, his possessions forgotten on the dusty floor. As the plant-wielder would have moved to give chase, Yusuke stepped in front of him, a rare, serious expression marking lines on his face. "What the hell was that all about?"

The usually calm and collected red-head found himself grinding his teeth in frustration. So close to the completion of his quest, and this dark-haired demon had no right to present himself as an obstacle. "_Move,_" the command was laced with every drop of the venom he had harbored since meeting the cottage's owner. Said demon merely smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You gonna make me, pretty boy?" Yusuke laughed. "It's my house."

"P-please, don't-" Yukina began, her voice trembling in fearful anticipation of the brewing fight. She was cut off by a cool hand on her shoulder, and glanced tearfully at Touya, who moved his head slowly from one side to the other. It was useless to try and stop them.

"Stand aside!" the fox attempted to order Yusuke again, oblivious to his affect on the female or his other companions. His fingers quickly moved to comb through his flowing red locks as he continued. "Before I am forced t-"

A fist collided with the smooth flesh of Kurama's face before he could conclude his threat. Jin moved quickly to swoop in and carry Yukina safely from the house as Touya took a step toward the fuming demons. "Kurama," he began, but faltered upon seeing the look in his cousin's eyes. They were rimmed with gold, and burning with cold fury and anticipation.

Yusuke's fist took flight once more, but this time was stopped before it could make impact. His flesh tore from the razor-like thorns protruding from a whip as the deadly weapon wrapped itself around its target; his arm was rendered immobile as Kurama held the device steady to stare callously down at his opponent. Seeming to ignore the pain of his bloodied wrist, the dark-haired demon twisted his body in such a way that he had a clear shot at his opponent. "_Spirit gun!_"

The fox was too quick for such an attack to land, but the woodsman had succeeded in getting Kurama to allow his weapon to slacken. The fighters jumped away from each other, strategies swirling frantically through their minds as they disregarded the damage done to the cottage. Kurama could have smiled at the turn of events; he fought so much better at a distance. He was no fool, however; an _infant_ could sense the powerful energy quickly gathering at Yusuke's fingertip. Conscious to the necessity of speed to gain advantage in such a battle, the fox speedily raised his arm in preparation of lashing out with his Rose Whip. Less than a moment before the whip fell, Kurama's attention was forcefully shifted to a dark figure flying toward him. He barely had time to adjust the position of his weapon before the small body made impact, sending them both sprawling to the floor. To the fox's surprise, Yusuke made no move to take advantage of Kurama's vulnerability.

The haggard breathing of the fighters seemed to compose a tempo for the particles that fell from the ceiling onto the debris and remains of the cottage. As the sounds of battle faded into the failing light of the day, the scene grew eerily quiet to the ears of the demons in witness. All eyes were on the dust-covered form of the fire demon, who lay sprawled halfway across Kurama's chest. The fox's beautiful face remained plastered with shock at what had just occurred - his emerald eyes locked onto Hiei's slightly trembling body. The smaller demon still clung desperately to the plant-wielder, his eyes lidded tightly.

There was a long pause before anyone dared to move, let alone speak. In the same movement that removed his arms from around Kurama, Hiei brought himself to his feet. It took only a second before his crimson orbs summoned flaming daggers to direct toward the fox lord. Kurama blinked, moving slowly to revert his beloved weapon back into a seed before returning it to his hair and carefully rising to his feet. His eyes never left the fire demon's face, and, despite the intensity of Hiei's glare, the red-head found himself to be holding the fire-wielder in a sort of dull awe.

In a swift, subtle movement, Hiei brought his newly injured arm to his mouth and licked a stream of blood from the split flesh, effectively breaking the other demons from their shock-induced trances. "Hiei, I-" Kurama began apologetically only to be cut off by and angry outburst from Yusuke.

"Great job, fox-boy!" the woodsman shouted, taking a step toward the other two. "I wondered where the hell all the shrimp's injuries came from! I guess now we know!"

"You have no right!" the indignant shout from Kurama collided with the urgent attention Touya's words demanded. The outcome was more chaotic distress ringing throughout the household. Green and brown eyes glared as one at the ice demon, who had dared to interrupt their argument. Touya huffed angrily, gesturing with exasperation to Hiei before storming outside to join his mate and Yukina.

Hiei's silent growl effectively shut the mouths of both would-be opponents. Both demons found themselves burdened with shame once they took notice of the damage they had done to both the house and the fire demon that had sparked the combat. An awkward silence loomed in the air before Kurama extended his arm toward the spiky-haired demon. "Hiei, come here…"

The fire demon bared his teeth, backing away slowly before darting out to Yukina, who had knowingly prepared her supply of salves and bandages for the aftermath of the enraged demons. Yusuke and Kurama's eyes followed Hiei out of the house before they met in an unpleasant glare. "You wrecked my house," Yusuke said finally.

"You got in my way," Kurama countered. Before the pair could fall into another bout of shouting (and possibly flying fists), Touya and Jin stepped between them.

"Let's be friends," the wind-master said cheerily as his mate's glare clearly demanded that the fighting come to an end.

Gradually, tempers settled with the dust that coated the broken floor. As proven in most social aspects, enemies can push their anger aside to handle the task at hand. This is not to say, however, that said fury had fully dissipated; rather, it meant that Kurama and Yusuke were able to ignore it as long as greater problems presented themselves. Though admittedly not in the best of cheer, each demon tackled his (or her, in the case of Yukina) assigned task to the best of his abilities. As the cottage's kitchen had been thoroughly wrecked by the battle, Yukina and Hiei created a small fire outside with which to cook the stew. The rest of the group set about with the cleaning and repairs.

The best part about being demonic in nature is that one's abilities are more often than not immensely useful in some way. Most of the dust and small debris was cleared by Jin's wind, though the horned man received an angry glare from Hiei when the small tornadoes twirled a bit too close to Yukina's cooking. Once the larger pieces were cleared away by Yusuke and Touya, Kurama coaxed one of his more docile plants into creating a makeshift wall until more permanent repairs could be made.

When the work was finished, the group lounged around the camp fire, the air heavy with their silence as they consumed the delicious food presented to them. While Hiei stared critically into the flames, everyone else seemed to be content on looking anywhere but at the demons around them. Eventually, Yukina broke the stillness with her soft voice. "It's very nice to be having dinner with so many. Sometimes it gets so lonely with just Yusuke-kun and myself…" Not getting a response, even from the usually hyperactive Jin, she tried again. "So, um… How do you boys know… Hiei-sama, is it?"

A spark flared throughout the group, although it wasn't the type of spark the girl had been hoping for. Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Tch. Like it matters."

Kurama coolly raised an elegant red eyebrow. "And what does that mean?"

Jin intercepted the sparks that flew between the emerald and chestnut eyes. "C'mon, le's not figh', 'kay?"

The woodsman shrugged nonchalantly. "The shrimp wants to be here."

The fox leaned forward. "What is your point?"

Yusuke mimicked the movement. "Not with you."

"Y-Yusuke-kun," Yukina stuttered cautiously. The men turned their attention to her, and a blush rose to her cheeks at the attention. "D-don't be mean… Please?"

The black-haired demon snorted, and Kurama found a small smile spread itself across his lips. '_**It seems our little pet brings home all sorts of fun,**_' Yoko grinned in amusement, finally making his opinion about the current situation known to his counterpart. Kurama fought the urge to roll his eyes at the typical reaction from the silver-haired fox. Despite himself, the fox-lord found himself cheered by the remark. '_We can only wait to see what happens next…'_

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**Speaking of what happens next, does anyone have any suggestions? The tension here is very high and I can only wonder how Yusuke and Kurama are going to get passed this... Not saying that I'm going to use all of your suggestions, or any of them for that matter, but they could get the creative juices flowing. **

**So review and let me know what you think!**

**On another note, I shall be moving into a college dorm next month. I sincerely hope that this doesn't prevent me from writing, but I do know that things are going to be getting quite hectic. Wish me luck, guys.  
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